Retreats in the Scottish Highlands

Roshven House, Lochailort

The road west from Fort William to Lochailort runs so close to
the steel-grey waters of Loch Eil that I imagine trailing my
fingers through it. At the Glenfinnan monument overlooking Loch
Shiel, the desire to roll around in the grass or wade into the
water is almost irresistible. And by Lochailort, there is another
tug of nature: the scent of the sea. Roshven House is a few miles
further on, a mansion of conical towers and slate roofs, with a
lawn down to the beach, and views of Rum and Eigg.

Roshven wasn't always so grand: in the late 18th century it was
a humble two-up, two-down tenanted by John McEachan, a whisky and
arms smuggler who came to a grim end in Canada. His initials can
still be seen above the door of the morning room, which is hung
with watercolours of puffins and stonechats by the Victorian
illustrator Jemima Blackburn. It was Blackburn and her husband who
enlarged the house, and there are more of her whimsical paintings
in the study.

The current owner is Angus MacDonald, an entrepreneur of
boundless enthusiasm who grew up in Glencoe. He and his wife Michie
spent four years overseeing the restoration of the main house,
where the tower had stood empty for 40 years. The result is a smart
New England look, with tongue-and-groove walls, red-and-blue
stripes and checks, antique chests, and vast seascapes by
contemporary Scottish artists.

There's plenty of intrigue in the area: Arisaig, for instance,
was the birthplace of Long John Silver. On a perfect summer's day
we row and kayak to a sandy island for a barbecue of fresh mackerel
and Black Isle Organic Blonde beer, then return to fig-stuffed
bridies (traditional pastries) under the soaring,
pitch-pine staircase and gallery.